4.0

M4.0 Earthquake 75 km SE of Perryville, Alaska — August 21, 2020

2020-08-21 19:10:19 UTC (2020-08-21) · approx. 8:10 AM UTC-11 local

MagnitudeM4.0(ml)
Time19:10 UTC≈ 8:10 AM UTC-11
Depth10.8 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates55.449°, -158.269°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alert— no significant casualties or damage expected

On August 21, 2020 at 19:10 UTC, a magnitude 4.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 75 km SE of Perryville, Alaska, at a depth of 10.8 km and coordinates 55.4492°, -158.2689°. The nearest populated place is Sand Point (population 976).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 15 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 347 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 55.45°, -158.27°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M4.0 earthquake near 75 km SE of Perryville, Alaska

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.0 ml
Depth
10.8 km
shallow crustal
Location
55.4492°N
-158.2689°E
Intensity (MMI)
2.2
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
ak020arb4mlq
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
246
RMS Residual
0.67 sec
Last Updated
2020-10-31 19:06:15 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.0 earthquake near Perryville, Alaska?

The magnitude 4.0 earthquake that struck 75 km SE of Perryville, Alaska on August 21, 2020 at 19:10 UTC had a depth of 10.8 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.0 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 4.0 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ak020arb4mlq). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 21, 2020). M4.0 Earthquake 75 km SE of Perryville, Alaska — August 21, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ak020arb4mlq/